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Happens to me as well. This is plain normal. When I worked at a studio, situations like this could not happen because all of your work was under permanent observation by everyone. Sometimes I miss this immediate feedback.

slowtiger wrote:Happens to me as well. This is plain normal. When I worked at a studio, situations like this could not happen because all of your work was under permanent observation by everyone. Sometimes I miss this immediate feedback.

This is why I tell my students that they have to make up their minds early on if they want to become studio animators or independent animators. The problem is that everyone thinks that they will first join a studio (and most of them don't expect problems with finding one) and once they learn a lot from the team, they will go on their own... that almost never happens, unless the person has no choice because there really aren't that many studios around and is forced into the cold against all wishes.

The fact remains that once you get used to the feedback and the joking and the group think and someone else being responsible for winning contracts, you will have a very difficult time adjusting to independence (see fall of Berlin wall or any emigration wave from a totalitarian country to a free market country).

Paul, interesting point.
Art students have no choice, after finishing school they're are alone in a pond full of crocodiles.Very quickly you have to learn to manage all your money things (rent, health insurance, material for artwork...), your business contacts, your working discipline and your circles of producing art and innovation.
It is very important for surviving to have a few honest friends which are commenting and critisizing your w.i.p. . This all makes you not to be in love with your output, giving the strength to make changes and progress with your work.
But that wasn't for most of the true to party principles east-artists in times of the Wall - they had guarantee income.

But that wasn't for most of the true to party principles east-artists in times of the Wall - they had guarantee income.

Not so fast, padre! I did all of what you describe but never lived off of subsidies and had to generate my own work within a system that abolished private enterprise. So it can be done and you are right that it is never easy. But the rewards were well worth it to me... otherwise you are of course correct, and this is why the international festivals are no longer flooded with thoughtful, deep films from the former Communist block.

Oh, but they are even more flooded now with thoughtful deep films from animation students - or that's what they think they made.

slowtiger wrote:or that's what they think they made.

So what has changed?